The Prince And The Princess
by Missmathdork1608
Summary: Arranged Marriage AU - the Morgenstern princess ran away at eleven years old, and now Clary has to convince Prince Jace Herondale, Heir of The Brocelind Plains, to accept an audience with the princess who no one's seen in seven years. Clace.
1. Chapter 1

Jace flopped down on the grass, Clary next to him. She intertwined her fingers with his, and said softly, "That bad, huh?"

"It's even worse. They're going to marry me off to Isabelle next week unless I can find a 'suitable alternative," he said mimicking his mother's nasally tone. "Are you sure there's no one else?"

"Other than the Morgenstern girl? I'm afraid not."

Jace turned his head to look at her. Clary's dark red hair was spread out behind her, and her captivating green eyes were observing something in the sky. Then, as if sensing his staring, she turned to him with a small smile. "Hey, it's going to be okay."

"It's not. You know I'm not going to marry the Morgenstern princess because you know I don't trust your judgment and she could be a serial killer for all I know."

Clary pursed her lips, looking hurt. "Just agree to _see_ her. I know she wants an audience with you more than anything else in the world, Jace." Then seeing his expression, she added, "Look, it'll give you a little more time before the marriage is finalized, if nothing else."

Jace raised his eyebrows. "I'm not convinced."

Clary tried again. "She's in an arranged marriage with the guy Isabelle is hooking up with right now. You'd be doing four people a favour at once."

"The girl who ran away at eleven years old wants an audience with Jace Herondale, Heir of the Brocelind Plains?" he said dryly.

Clary sat up. "Have it your way, then."

Jace sat up as well. "Clary, you know that isn't the problem. I just - I don't want to find this is one of your elaborate pranks again."

"I _am_ very convincing," Clary agreed. "But this isn't a prank. You might even like her as much as you like me."

"Love," he corrected. "There's no one else for me, and you know that."

Clary rolled her eyes, but she was smiling and there was a bit of pink in her cheeks. "Fine. Love. But really, give her a chance."

"Why are you doing this? Is this some subtle way of getting rid of me? If it is, I hate to say it but it's not working - "

"It's quite the contrary, as you'll find out if you just agree," Clary said, cutting off his rambling.

Jace looked her in the eyes; her left eye twitched ever so slightly when she lied. But the eye remained still, and she was looking at him with such pleading in her gaze that he was forced to cave.

"Fine," he grumbled and Clary laughed, throwing her arms around him.

"I promise you won't regret this!"

Jace leaned to touch their noses together, her breath washing over his mouth. "I know I won't." He desperately wanted to kiss her now, knowing it could be one of the last times he was allowed to.

"I thought you didn't trust me," she murmured, leaning in slightly. She licked her lips, not once looking away from his eyes. Her own eyes were a fiery green.

"I can be easily persuaded," he said and closed the distance between their lips. Her mouth was soft against his and her fingers were curling into his hair. She parted her lips slightly and Jace took advantage of the fact, running his tongue over her lips first and then her teeth. She made a whimpering noise and pulled herself on to his lap, pressing their bodies together. Her tongue curled around his, pulling slightly, and it was his turn to whimper into her mouth. She kissed him harder, nails now digging into his neck.

He broke away, breathing hard, and put his mouth to her jawline; her skin tasted slightly salty. She threw her head back and let out a low moan; the sound spurred Jace on.

He sucked on her throat and her hands went to his hair, pulling slightly. He growled against her throat and sucked harder, knowing it would mark her tomorrow. (The idea filled him with an odd sense of satisfaction.) He circled his tongue on the spot and she purred, grinding down on him.

Jace kissed her again, gripping her hips tightly. She rolled her hips again, and Jace groaned into her mouth.

She pulled back, cheeks flushed and eyes glowing. Her lips were swollen, and there was a rapidly purpling mark just on the underside of her jaw. Her dress was rumpled and stained with grass, but she was smiling and the fact that it was because of him struck him stupid.

"I love you," Clary said. "I don't say it enough. I love you to the ends of the earth and back."

Jace grinned. "Of course you love me. I'm a fantastic kisser."

Clary groaned and dropped her head to his shoulder. "Why do we always end up here?"

"You know you love me."

"It hasn't even been a full minute since I told you. You're already being narcissistic."

Jace rested his chin on her shoulder, fingering the simple dress she wore. After a while, Clary spoke up. "Jace?"

He hummed in response. "Yes?"

"You have to promise me something."

Jace raised his head cautiously. Clary looked determined. "What is it?"

"You have to promise me," she repeated.

"What is it?"

Clary bit her lip. "She... if I tell her, she'll be ready to meet you tomorrow." They both knew who 'she' was. "If you end up liking her, and... want to marry her, you have to dismiss me from service."

Jace stiffened. "Why? Is she hurting you?"

Clary huffed out a laugh. "Please. She couldn't touch me. It's just... I can't serve here if you're going to be courting her." On seeing his expression, she added, "Like, I physically can't."

Jace furrowed his brow. "Please explain."

Clary sighed. "Tomorrow."

" _Clary_."

"Jace." She sighed again. "Just trust me. You know I love you, right?"

Jace nodded. She got up. "I have to go. Good luck with the Morgenstern girl, Jace."

Her words ripped a hole in his heart. Did she really not care for him anymore? But before he could ask, Clary was gone.

* * *

Clary scrambled into the living room by the way of the window. Thankfully, her parents had no guests. Jocelyn and Valentine lit up when they saw her. "What did he say, sweetheart?"

"He said yes!" she blurted out, unable to restrain her grin. Valentine got up and hugged her.

"Clary, dear, you have no idea how proud I am of you," he said into her hair. After a minute, Jocelyn joined them.

Clary pulled back. "Papa, can I eat early? I'd like to sleep a little more than usual for tomorrow."

Valentine kissed her forehead and said, "Of course, darling."

Jocelyn linked her arms with her daughter's. "I'll walk you there, sweetheart." She grinned wider, if that was somehow possible. "Oh! My daughter will be married in a few weeks."

Clary stopped suddenly. "Mama?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"What if he doesn't want to marry me? I tricked him. He looked hurt when I wished him good luck tomorrow."

"Oh, sweetheart," Jocelyn said, cupping Clary's face. "You are a wonderful woman, he's already in love with you from what I've heard, you're rescuing him from an unwanted marriage, and he has an excellent sense of humour. _Nothing_ will go wrong."

"Really?"

"Of course. Now, go get ready for bed. I'll have dinner sent to your room."

"Good night, Mama."

"Good night, sweetheart. Sleep well."

* * *

The prince was pacing, apparently nervous to meet the princess. He seemed to be looking for someone, by the way his eyes darted to the crowd every two minutes.

He blinked and straightened when the herald announced the princess' arrival.

The princess entered the room, rendering it deathly quiet, and the prince's gasp was audible. He was gaping slightly.

She had dark red hair, bright green eyes, and a shy smile on her face. Murmurs rippled through the crowd - who would have ever known that the runaway princess was so beautiful?

She curtsied and spoke. "Your Highness." Even her voice was beautiful.

The prince blinked, then bowed and spoke, a smile dancing round the corners of his mouth. "Your messenger never mentioned your identity."

Her smile widened. "I hope you are not too disappointed, Prince Jonathan."

He rolled his eyes. "Please, call me Jace." Behind him, his parents smiled approvingly. "Speaking of which, where are the King and Queen Morgenstern? I was hoping to see them."

"They wait outside." She curtsied again and he bowed in return, much deeper than before.

"Shall we go see them, then?" He offered his arm to her, now grinning.

The princess smiled and took the offered arm. "We shall."

* * *

Once they were in the hallway leading to the main gates, where no one could see them, Clary relaxed. Her arm was still in Jace's, so that was a relief, but she hadn't worn this much makeup in a long, long time.

"Jace?" she said quietly. He hadn't said a word since they had strolled out of the throne room. His smile was gone.

He looked around, apparently making sure they were alone. Then his eyes dropped to hers. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Clary met his gaze. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

They both knew that wasn't the answer he was looking for. But Jace didn't seem to care one bit by the way he backed her against the wall and kissed her, being careful not to knock off the tiara on her head or rumple her dresses. His tongue roamed inside her mouth, twisting with hers; she tried not to whimper at the way he was so gentle and passionate at the same time, his fingers curling into her gown. She groaned, throwing her head back as he trailed his lips down her neck. "Jace," she said breathlessly, trying to see reason. "My parents - they _are_ waiting for you. They want to meet you - _oh_ ," she gasped as he bit down softly on her neck, sending shivers rippling through her body and a rush of heat between her legs.

"Still want to go?" he said against her skin. She could feel him smiling.

She placed her hands on his shoulders and tried to push him away; he complied, stepping back. His eyes were slowly lightening, and there was a half-smile at the corners of his mouth. She remembered him saying something about the fact that she always made him happy, back when she had first come to the palace and started serving as Queen Herondale's handmaid.

God, that seemed like such a long time ago.

His eyes travelled up and down her body, finally coming to rest on her face. She knew her eyes were a vibrant, popping green - mostly because she had reapplied the kohl several times until it looked just right. Her arms had been aching with the effort of holding them steady.

"Clary," he said quietly. "You know I love you, right?"

Her heart clenched. Was he going to deny the alliance after all? "And I you."

He ran a hand through his hair. "So you might...you would be agreeable to the idea of our marriage?"

She blinked. "Are you choosing me because you don't want to marry Isabelle?"

"No." He shook his head. "I want to marry you anyway."

When she didn't reply, he continued, "Do you remember when I first proposed?"

"Yes," she murmured. She had overheard Queen Herondale discussing the idea of Jace and Isabelle's marriage. Then she had excused herself and gone to see Jace, who had promptly proposed to her. She had had to deny him, fearing the queen's wrath.

"I was determined to marry you. I would have run away with you if that was what it would have taken, Clary. Look at me." She made herself meet his burning gold eyes. "I love you. I would go to the ends of the earth for you. Will you marry me?"

The tenderness and sincerity in his gaze was overwhelming. "Yes," she managed to say.

His smile lit up his face, and he leaned down to kiss her lightly. Against her lips, he said, " _Now_ shall we go see your parents?"

She pulled back and rolled her eyes, but smiled. "We shall."

* * *

 **And we all know what happened next... They lived happily ever after! I was thinking of writing the day he first proposed to her and the day they first met as separate one-shots; please let me know if you would like to see it. If one person - just one - wants it, I will write it for them. If no one wants it, I'm going to write it anyway because I am trash for Clace and need to get these ideas out of my head.**

 **Love, Miss Math Dork**


	2. First Meeting

**I just wanted to tell you this at the beginning because I'm super lazy and didn't want to describe the settings or how they traveled. In _Sofia The First_ , the royalty gets together for an annual sports competition in _Tri-Kingdom Picnic_. They travel similarly in this fic, but without the magic horses. I'm picturing them in the exact field, so, you know. If you haven't watched the episode go watch it now to get a sense of the setting. (And yes, I watch _Sofia The First_. Don't judge me.)**

* * *

Simon shifted on his feet impatiently.

"Stop that," Rebecca snapped at him. "Mother will be here any minute."

Simon scowled at her, but it was George who defended him. "Go easy on him, Rebecca. Isabelle Lightwood's going to be there, and you know how easily our Simon gets crushes."

Or not.

Thankfully, Elaine Lovelace swept into the room before Simon's siblings could insult him further. "Kids, are you ready?" Without bothering to wait for an answer, she swept them into the carriage.

* * *

Simon watched glumly as George and Rebecca wandered off cheerfully, wishing Clary was there with him. She was supposed to have been there, as the Morgenstern princess, but she had run away nearly a year ago. Word was that she had taken off because of her arranged marriage to either Simon or Jace? - it hadn't been decided yet. She had kept in touch with him and her parents, but they had never been able to pinpoint her exact location and bring her home.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder - his mother - and she muttered through her teeth, "Simon, I'm taking you to meet the Lightwoods and Herondales. Your absolute best behaviour, you understand?

Simon nodded, having no choice in the matter, and he was whisked off to a piece of flat ground by an oak tree he remembered. Clary and he had come here a lot of times; then it had been just the two of them. Now it was occupied by two women and three children that looked the same age as him.

Elaine inclined her head. "Queen Lightwood. Queen Herondale."

The other queens did the same. Like his mother, they didn't need crowns to mark them as royalty - they were that powerful and well known. Simon observed the children - a boy and a girl standing by Queen Lightwood, and a boy standing by Queen Herondale. The Lightwood prince had black hair and blue eyes like his mother, but his sister was black haired and black eyed, and dressed in a dress that looked somewhere between white and really, really light yellow. Clary would have said she looked living ink and paper - but Clary wasn't here. A pang of sadness overtook him. _I miss you, Clary_ , he thought. _Come back home_.

Now that the formalities were over, the three women embraced each other, laughing and catching up. Then Maryse Lightwood turned to the children and said, "Oh! Of course. My children, Alexander and Isabelle Lightwood."

Céline - Queen Herondale- stepped forward. "And my son, Jonathan Herondale."

The boy looked like one of those paintings Clary was always rambling about. Perfectly combed blond hair, immaculate suit, angelic smile, and eyes a startling shade of gold.

His mother nudged him, and Simon stepped forward, suddenly nervous. He bowed deeply to the queens before saying, "Simon Lovelace. Nice to meet you."

Elaine nodded approvingly, and Céline said, "We have business to attend to. I trust you all to make friends and take care of yourself?"

"Yes, Mother," Jonathan said, still smiling politely. Céline raised her eyebrows, but said nothing, instead choosing to leave.

The moment the queens were gone, Jonathan flopped down on the grass, looking relieved. Alexander and Isabelle followed suit. "Don't believe anything she says on the first meeting," he told Simon. "My name is _not_ Jonathan, and his name is _most certainly_ not Alexander. Call us Jace and Alec."

Isabelle said, "I only have one name, don't worry. It's still Isabelle."

Jace and Alec shot her evil looks.

Isabelle ignored them and asked eagerly, "So, the Morgenstern princess, what's she like?"

Simon was taken aback. "I'm sorry?"

"The Morgenstern princess," Isabelle said. "Mom said you knew her. Is she smart? Does she like to ride on horseback? Does she - "

"Leave him alone, Isabelle," Jace said. "The poor weasel already looks so jumpy. He doesn't need to answer questions about the runaway princess on top of that. You yourself said they were best friends - do you really think Alec would want to talk about it if I ran away?"

Isabelle considered the question. "I suppose not."

"Why can't _I_ run away?" Alec demanded. "Why do you always get to go scot-free?"

"Because you're the responsible one," Jace said with the air explaining something very complicated to a child. "Isabelle and I would tear each other to pieces without you and then the Herondales would be heirless and the Highsmiths would attack."

Alec looked unamused. "I am not essential to preventing war."

"Yes, you are," Isabelle said just as firmly.

Alec opened his mouth to say something, but shut it, eyes widening at the sight of Clary rounded the corner, dressed in Herondale colours.

* * *

Jace watched as Simon opened his mouth, and then shut it at the glare the servant gave him.

She had fiery red hair, and looked young - about their age. Her eyes were dark green and sparkled when she looked around at all of them, before settling back on Simon.

"I," she said through her teeth, still glaring at Simon, "am Clary _Fray_ , Queen Herondale's new handmaid."

Clary. Like the herb, clary sage.

"Ah," Simon said. Then, after a pause, "What are you _doing_ here?"

Clary put her hands on her hips; Jace wondered how a servant was able to look so imposing. "I've been with the queen for the past few months. I've learned a lot, too, Simon _Shoelace_."

Jace raised his eyebrows. A servant girl, mocking a prince? To his surprise, Simon only looked indignant. "Rebecca said she'll tell on you the next time you call me that, and it is the next time - "

Clary's answering smile was practically diabolical. "You do realize you just gave all your new royal friends a form of blackmail." She tapped her chin, pretending to be deep in thought. "Or rather, _I_ did."

Simon paled.

This was odd. Simon and Clary were speaking as if they'd known each other forever, yet they had just met.

Somebody shouted, "Edelina!" and Clary winced before turning to face them all.

"One last thing. I'd like all of you to keep a secret for me, please," she said and Simon sighed.

"Let me guess," he said, sounding resigned. "You're going by Edelina Fray, Queen Herondale's handmaid."

Clary shrugged. "Only this year. I'll pretend the queen hired a new one to anyone who asks, and she knows, by the way. She's really excited to have a pr - real lady -in the castle and promises all sorts of things to Mama." She suddenly reached forward and hugged Simon quickly, knocking his glasses askew. "Thanks, Si. I'll catch you later bye!"

And with that, she was gone.

Isabelle stared after her, looking shocked. "Did that servant just _hug_ you?"

Simon scowled. "First of all, she's not just any servant. Second of all, she's my best friend - " His eyes widened and he promptly changed tracks. "I mean, psh, she's a servant girl. Can't believe I let her hug me. Oops."

Jace, Alec, and Isabelle traded wry looks. "Really," Isabelle.

Simon nodded and adjusted his glasses.

"Simon Shoelace," Jace said thoughtfully, trying it out. It fit. "Simon Shoelace. Prince Shoelace. It does sound nice, doesn't it?"

Simon glared at him. "Stop it."

Alec was looking in the direction Clary had gone, looking thoughtful. Then he said to Simon, "Can I have a word?"

Simon looked wary, but stood up. "Of course."

* * *

"I know it's the princess," Alec said quietly.

Simon blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "It's Clary's evil twin."

"I'm friends with her older brother. If she had a twin, not to mention an evil one, I didn't see her anywhere around the palace. And I really doubt they named two children Clarissa."

Simon sighed. He was doomed. "Just don't out her. This is important to her."

Alec raised an eyebrow, inviting explanation.

"It's a long story."

Alec spread his hands. "Then shorten it."

"Clary is... a free spirit. She learned that her parents had arranged for an alliance with my family and the Herondales. The thing is, Jonathan is already engaged to Rebecca, so her parents were considering a marriage between her and Jace. And... she never liked being royalty anyway. She preferred to spend time with the servants, and the cooks, and the stable boys, and _loathed_ etiquette lessons. Even if she was good at them. So she decided that if she was going to marry into royalty, she would spend the few free years she had with the servants, who she deemed 'her people'. And..." Simon winced. This was going to sound so weird. "She... kind of wanted to make sure Jace was a good person and... you know..."

"No, I don't know," Alec said, looking more and more mystified.

"See if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him."

Alec blinked. "That's..." He shook his head and smiled faintly, to Simon's surprise. "She's Jonathan's sister. Of course she would do that." After a pause, he said, "Do her parents know?"

"They do," Simon admitted. "She got in touch with all of us a week after she disappeared to let us know that she was safe, and told us why she ran away."

Alec looked thoughtful. "You said she was going to be staying with Queen Herondale?" Simon nodded and Alec sighed. "Jace is definitely going to become best friends with her, and they're going to wreak all sorts of havoc." He rubbed his temples. "The Angel save us."

Simon asked cautiously, "So you won't tell?"

Alec smiled. "I won't tell. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, anyway."

* * *

Jace sat quietly in the carriage, listening to his parents talk. Clary sat opposite him, looking out the window.

"It's not a bad idea, Stephen," Céline said in response to whatever they had been talking about. "She might turn up. We can just hold out - "

"We don't know," Stephen snapped. "We can't afford to lose any other chances at making alliances with the kingdoms - I bet Valentine hid his daughter away so that the alliance could be called off."

"That's ridiculous. Why would he do that? He wants this alliance just as much as you do."

"How do you know?"

"Oh, I don't know, possibly because those were his exact words under the Sword's Oath?" Stephen glared at her and she glared right back. "Men," she muttered under her breath. To Jace's surprise, Clary let out a muffled giggle.

"Here, Edelina," Céline said. "Switch seats with me, Stephen and I have other things to talk about."

Clary obeyed, sitting next to Jace. Céline put her head on Stephen's shoulder and began murmuring something.

Jace looked away. He knew what his parents had been arguing about, and he also knew, with a queasy certainty, that the princess had run away because she didn't want to marry him. Was he really so bad that a ten-year-old would leave the comforts of family and friends to avoid marrying him? How would she even know what she was like? And Alec had told him anyway that she would have been fine with marrying Simon Shoelace. Hmph.

Someone tapped his shoulder and he started. Clary looked concerned. "Are you all right?"

Jace groaned. "Why do people keep asking me that? I am perfectly fine!"

"No, you're not," Clary said. "You're sulking." -

"I am not." He sat up. "I'm just - I don't know. I guess I'm upset that the princess ran away."

Clary blinked. "Why would _you_ be upset?"

Jace looked away. "I know she doesn't want to marry me. I'm not that bad a person a princess would leave her life and disappear."

Clary said slowly, "Well, maybe she wanted to see if you were a good person. I don't think she assumed you were a bad one outright."

Jace glanced at her. Her eyes were lit by a ray of sunlight and they sparkled; they looked beautiful. "How would you know that?"

She smiled a little. "My mother served the Morgenstern princess before she ran away; the princess and I were... very close. I don't think she had any other female friends. She confided a lot of things in me."

Jace considered this. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Stephen straightened suddenly, looking at Clary with a measure of alarm. "By the Angel, Céline, you're right. She _is_ \- "

Céline clapped a hand over her husband's mouth. "Don't. Just don't."

Stephen relented, though his eyes were sparkling with a humour that hadn't been there before. "By the Angel," he said again. "I suppose Valentine trusts me after all."

Céline leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Stephen looked at Clary warily.

"So, uh, Edelina - "

"Clary, please, Your Majesty." She grinned, and it struck Jace how perfect a portrait of a princess she was. Even in her simple dress, she radiated power and beauty.

Stephen shook his head. "I can't believe you're still bothering with titles. The Morgenstern princess had no small bit of pluck, running away like that."

Clary inclined her head. "I will relay the message, Your Majesty."

Stephen rolled his eyes. "Céline, tell her to stop calling me that." When Céline didn't stir, he poked her. " _Céline_."

Céline blinked her eyes open. "What? Oh, yes, Clary. Do call him Stephen." Then she closed her eyes.

Jace gaped, unable to control his surprise. While he knew he wasn't supposed to be stuck up or elitist because he was a prince, his father was _king_. Nobody called him anything other than _Your Majesty_ except his friends and family.

His _royal_ friends and family.

He looked at Clary again. Her hair was astonishingly well-kept; it tumbled down her back in soft curls and lit up red in the sunlight. He wanted to write poetry about the curve of her mouth when she smiled at him, and try to capture the exact green of her eyes in paint -

Clary looked sideways at him, a smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth. Jace realized he'd been staring. "Like what you see?"

Stephen started laughing; Jace flushed and looked away. "Don't worry," he heard his father saying. "Jace hasn't learned how to woo women properly yet, but he'll blow you away when he does, I assure you."

Clary laughed.

When Jace was younger, he had developed an interest in science and tagged after Alastair, one of his father's main physicists and lab workers. One day, Alastair had shown him a stoppered vial half full of mercury, and Jace had watched, fascinated, as it rose and filled the tube when held over the flame. Clary's laugh was like that: light and silvery and expanding, filling his heart with wonder.

Oh dear.

Jace was pretty sure he had a crush on her. His father's comments about the romantic capability of the Herondale men didn't make it any better; the more Clary giggled, the more he wanted to stammer and cover his face so that she wouldn't see him blushing every time she laughed.

The rest of the ride home was agony. Stephen cracked joke after joke after joke, and Clary kept laughing. Céline woke up after a while and smiled knowingly at Clary when she thought Jace wasn't looking. To his surprise, Clary blushed and looked away.

Even her _blush_ was beautiful.

This was seriously unfair.

* * *

One of the guards helped Céline down from the carriage. Clary hopped down nimbly from the carriage and curtsied to the king and queen before she slipped away. Jace watched her go gloomily.

Céline put a hand on his shoulder. "Jace, are you all right?"

He blurted out, "She has a pretty laugh." Then he wanted to shake himself; people wouldn't approve a prince talking to a servant.

Céline and Stephen, however, exchanged looks. "You like her laugh, do you?" Céline said knowingly.

Jace folded his arms and looked away.

Stephen put a hand on his other shoulder. "Let's discuss this over dinner."

There was a dining room in the castle for just the three of them. The table had already been laid, and they were well into their food before Stephen said something to Céline in French and she muttered something back.

" _Et alors?_ " Stephen raised an eyebrow. " _Il est prince, et elle est princesse. Ils sont parfaits pour l'un l'autre._ "

" _Stephen, Jace est peux entendre nous_ ," his mother said. "Besides, we don't know if Valentine will agree."

Stephen crossed his arms and sat back; there was a glint in his blue eyes that indicated some crafty planning was happening. But all he said was, "Of course, Céline darling."

Céline tutted. "I know you're already planning something. Do whatever you like, dear. You always do." Then she decided to focus on Jace. "So, Jace." Intense gold eyes observed him. "You like her laugh."

Jace was already wishing for the sweet release of death. "No, I don't."

"So you think her laugh is pretty, but you don't like it?" Stephen asked shrewdly. "No, don't give me that look, I saw you staring at her out of the corner of your eye the whole ride."

Céline perked up. "He was?"

Jace begged his father to leave the topic alone with his eyes. Stephen ignored him and cheerfully said, "Yes, he was."

Céline looked ecstatic. "You know, Stephen, I'm beginning to see your point of view. Jace, what flowers do you want at the wedding?"

Jace prayed desperately for the ground to open up and swallow him. Stephen laughed. "Look at him, he's _mortified_!"

"I don't _like_ her," Jace protested.

"No, you don't," Céline agreed. "You love her."

"Mama, please!"

His parents exchanged gleeful looks. "How about hyacinths?" Céline suggested, taking a bite of her food.

Jace crossed his arms. "I can't believe you're planning my wedding when I'm eleven."

"You didn't say anything about not wanting to marry her," Stephen noted. Jace tried not to scowl.

"I didn't say anything about not wanting to marry her because I assumed it was implied."

"Jace, focus. Hyacinths?"

Jace glared at his mother, hoping he was the picture of embarassment and hatred. Stephen laughed.

* * *

 **And it begins.** **Much thanks to Aditi (yes, "nerve endings") for motivating me to finish this. You owe me the goddamn drawing, by the way. I decided to have Céline and Stephen know who Clary was because to me, there is _nothing_ funnier than them being in the know and teasing Jace about his crush. As a result of this, I will not be writing Jace's proposal, but instead their first kiss. It should be up in hours, as I have already written a lot of it. Love, Miss Math Dork.**


	3. First Kiss

Bright, sunny day. The birds were chirping loudly. Jace was surprisingly melancholy considering how bright a day it was.

He heard the patter of feet, and then Clary was smiling at him. "Your Royal Loneliness."

He swatted at her halfheartedly and she danced out of reach, laughing. It had been three years since they'd met, and Clary had only grown more and more perfect. Prettier, shrewder, wittier, kinder... the list went on and on.

"Go away," he said. "I'm in a sulking mood. I want to sulk."

"Ah, no," Clary said. "You see, I'm an Irish enchantress come to lure you into the woods and ransom your parents, and I can't do that if you're sulking."

Jace said dramatically, "Take me away, fair lady! To thee I owe my affections, small though they may be!"

Clary pretended to take offense. "It is not thine affections I desire, young prince, but thy heart."

Jace swallowed the impulse to tell her she already had it, instead pasting on a rakish grin. "Oh? and what of your suitors waiting to ask thy hand from thy father? What of them?"

Clary grinned mischievously. "All I desire is thy heart, young prince, and eventually all thy fortunes."

Jace laughed out loud. "Some enchantress you are."

"At least I'm honest about it," Clary pointed out, looking pleased. She was one of the few people who could make him laugh like that.

A strand of hair fell loose from her bun and Jace resisted the urge to reach out and tuck it away for her. At the tender age of fourteen, she had already ensnared the hearts of many of the guards' sons. Jace wanted to taunt them every time she ignored or failed to notice their obvious affections, but he didn't. Clary would probably never talk to him again, his parents would tease him even more, and it was just _improper_ , being this close without being related.

Clary laid a hand on his arm. "Do you play the piano?"

He started, and she withdrew hastily. Jace cursed himself soundly. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," she said, attempting a casual air and failing miserably.

"Liar," Jace said easily. "Of course I know how to play the piano. A prince must be able to talk about fine things, not just swing swords and pose for portraits."

Clary looked him up and down, and Jace's stomach fluttered. "You wouldn't make for a very good portrait anyway."

"Lies!" He pretended to stagger back. "This is slander. I am extremely good-looking and photogenic."

Clary just shook her head and smiled. "What were you sulking about?"

All the humour leaked out of him. "Nothing."

Clary sat down in one of the armchairs patiently. "Jace, I've got all day."

"What about my mother?"

"Her Majesty gave me a day off."

Jace scowled. "I'm not talking to you about this."

"And why not?" she inquired calmly.

 _Because I_ like _you,_ he wanted to spit out suddenly. _I like the way you laugh, and the way you talk, and are one of the few people who call me by my first name. But I can't tell you, because you'll probably never talk to me again. You obviously don't feel the same way._ But all he said was, "You'll judge me."

Clary lifted her eyebrows. "Jace, I caught you sneaking out of the royal kitchen, in your underwear, in the _middle of the night_ , with your mouth stuffed with _raw fucking potatoes_. And I'm still talking to you."

Jace winced at the memory. "Well, that was me trusting you with my shame, and my inability to turn down a challenge. This is me trusting you with matters of the heart."

"Matters of the _heart_?" Clary looked delighted. His breath caught painfully. "Does Jace Herondale, Heir of the Brocelind Plains, have a _crush_?"

Jace ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe. But I'm afraid she won't like me back."

The moment the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to take them and stuff them back in. He had done it. He had gone and fucked up everything. Now she definitely knew who it was. Oh god, she would never talk to him again and he would never marry anyone and the Herondale line would end and the kingdom would rebel and he would have brought down doomsday all because of his inability to keep his stupid fucking mouth shut -

Clary stood up. "Oh, she doesn't like you back, does she?" She was smiling knowingly.

Jace's breath caught. There was no way she could know. No way.

She took a step, then another, and another until she was improperly close to him. "What if she _did_ like you? What if she thought you were handsome and sweet and kind and utterly, utterly kissable?" Her eyes flicked to his mouth, then back up to his eyes.

Jace blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "'Kissable' isn't a real word."

Clary looked at him like he was daft. "What do you mean, of _course_ it isn't a real word. I used it for emphasis."

Jace didn't know what else to say, or how to respond. If he said something wrong, she would never talk to him again. If he said the _right_ thing, however...

He cleared his throat. "Well, then, I might just have to admit to her that I've fancied her and her laugh since the day we met. And I might also have to kiss her just to convince her my feelings are genuine. Hypothetically, of course."

Clary's lips quirked up. "Since the day we met? You mean to tell me you were blushing so much in the carriage because of my _laugh_?"

Jace glared at her. "And I got a good talking to from my parents because of that for _three_ years." At her mystified look, he elaborated, "They greet me everyday in the morning with, 'How's your redheaded vixen, Jace?' Every _single_ day."

Clary giggled. " _Every_ day?"

"Well, they let me off on Sundays and Christmases," he amended, eyeing her mouth. It looked like a piece of fruit.

Something was wrong with him. That, or this was what people felt like when they fancied someone.

Clary tilted her head. "You know, I still don't think I'm very convinced of your affections for this girl. Perhaps you should reassure her." She batted her eyelashes at him, and Jace suddenly understood why girls did that, because her eyes looked dark and mysterious and coy, and he wanted to kiss her so badly it was an ache in his chest.

So he kissed her.

It was tender and hesitant and soft and barely there, because he was just touching his lips to hers very lightly, but then she made a noise of surprise and kissed him back. Her hands rested on his shoulders, then on the back of his neck, pulling him closer. He put his hands on her hips, and was emboldened when she didn't pull away. She tilted her head, and he did the same, and he could taste chocolate and sea salt all of a sudden. A painful tightness in his chest demanded his attention, and it was only when he drew away gasping that he realized he had run out of air.

He leaned his forehead against hers, unable to stop smiling. Clary liked him. Clary liked him _back_.

The girl in question smiled back. Jace was extremely aware of all the places they were touching, most importantly her hands around his neck. He felt drunk on skin-to-skin contact.

"I have this," she said, tracing a shape on his chest. It took Jace a moment to understand what she was talking about, dazed as he was. "All I need now is the castle, and enchantresses will hail me as a legend for generations to come."

Jace laughed. He was definitely drunk on skin-to-skin contact, most notably a type where lips touched. He bent down to press a kiss to her mouth. "My heart is all yours, temptress," he promised her. They didn't talk about the castle, or what waited a few years from now.

Instead, they laughed, and kissed, and he played the piano, and they kissed some more until the morning waned into afternoon and Clary had to go check on Queen Herondale and see if there was any help needed around the kitchen. Jace offered to come along, and she looked surprised for a moment before replying with a cocky smirk, _If you can keep up with dirtying your hands, Your Highness._

He responded by kissing her swiftly, and chased her down to the kitchen, both of them laughing.

* * *

 **Hi! I hope you liked it, because I most certainly do. I just want to clarify that Clary and Jace are around the age of ninth-graders, so I don't think it's weird they have their first kiss now. Same goes for the swearing because I know a few ninth graders who are positively foul-mouthed (I'm looking at us, Aditi). So, anyway, thanks for reading. This may be the last thing for this AU because I'm working on a new fanfic and my original stories, but I'm happy to answer any requests for this fic!**

 **Love, Miss Math Dork.**


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